Golf ball holder



y 3 J. ARMSTRONG 2,159,122

GOLF BALL HOLDER Filed Oct. 1, 1938 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 23, 1939 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application October 1,

Claims.

This invention relates to golf ball holders for holding golf balls in position for driving, and an object is to provide an improved, simplified and inexpensive device for this purpose.

A further object is to provide an improved golf ball holder of the magazine type, particularly adapted to driving ranges, in which successive balls are automatically positioned for driving as soon as the preceding ball has been driven off.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

l is a top plan view of a gold ball holder con tructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of another form of device showing an embodiment of the invention which can be employed when no magazine is used.

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of a detail, and

Fig, 6 is a sectional view of the detail.

As illustrated, the invention comprises a ball supporting saddle l9 formed by a plurality of strands i i of string, cord, or the like. The saddle is open on the side facing the direction in which the ball is to be driven and does not engage any part of the ball surface on that side, so that upon driving the ball can be expelled from the saddle without any resistance from the strands H. The strands are preferably twisted together at the top of the ball, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. The ends of the strands II are pasted or otherwise secured to the lower end of a saddle hanger l4 having shoulders l5 formed. by a head l6 on the upper end thereof. As shown in Fig. 5, the ends of the saddle strands II are secured 10 to the hangar !4 by an adhesive strip ll, or glue or the like. The hangar M is formed of material which is easily subjected to tearing such, for example, as cardboard, heavy paper or the like.

A tubular magazine l8 having a slot l9 extending longitudinally of its upper surface is mounted in an inclined position as shown in Fig. 2 for vertical adjustment upon a standard 20. The magazine tube is provided with a horizontal lip 2| at the lower end of the slot l9 which closes 50 that end of the slot, and the side walls are formed with sharp edges 22 capable of shearing or tearing the saddle hangar [4 when the latter is forced against such edges as a result of driving the as- .sociated golf ball. The shearing operation serves to out 01f the head l6 so that the entire hangar 1938, Serial No. 232,758

falls to the ground. To facilitate this operation the head [6 may be cut out to form only a narrow strip 16 just strong enough to support the hangar and ball from the lip 2|.

The upper end of the magazine tube is provided with a fiat slotted extension 23 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

In operation, the magazine is filled with golf balls mounted in saddles and having the saddle supports I 4 extending through the slot 19 with the heads l6 of the supports engaging the outer surface of the magazine, as shown in Fig. 2. The top extension 23 is for the purpose of supporting the hangars attached to the balls in the rear of the magazine. The lowermost ball is suspended from the lip 2| and the adjusting of the magazine is such that when so suspended the associated ball I2 is in the correct position for driving. Each saddle is so mounted upon the associated hangar that when in driving position the unobstructed side of the ball will be in the direction in which the ball is to be driven. As a result the impact of driving expels the ball from the saddle strands H which oifer substantially no resistance to the driving operation. In driving, the hangar M is forced against the sharpened edge 22 adjacent the shoulder I5 and the hangar is torn and thus removed from the lip 2|.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the dependent hangar which is supported by the lip 2i closes the lower, open end of the magazine, holding the succeeding balls against movement until the ball in driving position has been driven on" and the associated hangar thus removed, whereupon the next ball drops into position and the operation is repeated.

The invention is also capable of use without the magazine feature. Fig. 4 illustrates such an arrangement. It comprises a vertically adjustable standard 25 having a horizontal arm 25 provided with a slotted end 21 forming a lip 28 for engaging the shouldered head of the hangar M. The operation is similar to that described in connection with the magazine modification, except that each ball must be manually placed in position upon the lip 28.

If desired, suitable means can be provided for holding the series of balls in the magazine tube during handling or shipment thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 6, this means may be formed by a yieldable member 30 having a finger 3| projecting into the tube and positioned to prevent the balls from falling out. The member 30 can be movably secured to the tube as by a pivot 32 to permit the finger 3| being moved or swung to inoperative position.

It will be apparent that the present invention can be variously modified and adapted Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A golf ball holder comprising a ball saddle, a hangar secured to said saddle, means for suspending said hangar so as to locate a ball mounted in said saddle in position for driving, and means for removing said hangar from said support upon driving said loall.

2. A golf ball holder comprising an open-sided ball saddle, a shouldered hangar secured to said saddle, means engaging the shoulder of said hangar for suspending said hangar so as to locate a ball mounted in said saddle in position for driving, and means for removing said hangar from said support upon driving said ball.

3. A golf ball holder comprising a ball saddle, a shouldered hangar secured to said saddle, a slotted tube forming a magazine for a plurality of balls mounted in separate saddles with the associated hangars extending through said slot, and means at the end of said magazine for supporting said hangars so as to locate the associated ball in position for driving.

4. A golf ball holder comprising a ball saddle, a shouldered hangar secured to said saddle, an inclined slotted tube forming a magazine adapted to hold a plurality of balls mounted in separate saddles with the associated hangars extending through said slot, a lip formed on the lower end of said tube closing said slot and providing a support adapted to hold a hangar in position to close the lower end of said tube with the associated ball in position for driving, and a cutting edge on said lip for severing the hangar supported thereby as a result of driving the associated ball.

5. A golf ball holder comprising a ball saddle, a hangar secured to said saddle, a slotted tube forming a magazine adapted to hold a plurality of balls mounted in separate saddles with the associated hangars extending through said slot, and means movable to operative or inoperative position for holding said balls against egress from said magazine.

JOHN ARMSTRONG. 

